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For Sharon Vos, collecting hardware at the
ING New York City Maratho
n is kind of a rite of autumn. This year was no different, as the Riverside resident won her second female 55 to 59 age group title in a row, but it didnt come without the usual late-race struggle encountered by most marathoners.

I felt really good the first half, she said Sunday night, and her midway split of 1:29:08 put her on sub-3 hour pace. And going up First Avenue it wasnt bad, even though we were really running into a strong headwind there.

I figured once we made the turn in the Bronx and headed south, it would be at our backs, but somehow it was in our faces going that way, too. And going up Fifth Avenue around mile 22 I really started to feel it.

Vos held on through Central Park to finish in 3:09:24, good for 1,616th overall and 111th woman. Last year she ran in the 55-59 age group for the first time, since the race fell on her birthday in 2009. She won then but in a slower time, 3:10:09. I kept thinking about where I could have made up 10 seconds, she said. So this year I was happy to get under 3:10.